I Will Come Back For You
by Mira-LoZ
Summary: After escaping Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly Link only wants to get away from Ruto, but he soon finds that he may not want to leave her after all. The story goes across the game of Ocarina of Time with chapters on every time the young love birds meet. Includes both child and Adult Link x Ruto chapters. Complete for now, may add a 4th chapter later.
1. I Will Come Back For You

**A/N I have moved all the stories from my previous account to this one, to make things a little easier for myself. I created a second account due to loosing forgetting my original's log-in information for a long time but have figured it out. I deleted the original of this entry and have re-posted it here, and plan to re-edit most of my stories soon.**

 **Here is a little fic that I decided to write kind of out of nowhere. I know that it's not a popular couple, but they have a good story that supports them. This is a very light Young Link x Ruto chapter, future chapters will go further in-depth to their relationship.**

 **Updated Dec 2018, added 1k words, from 1.7k to 2.8. I'll re-edit chapter 2 and 3 soon.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Ocarina of Time... I really wish I did**

Link finally had gotten out of the giant whale, instantly working to erase every second of being inside Lord Jabu-Jabu from his memory. The boy had been thrown into the water which he was not a fan of but anything was better then being inside something else's body, especially a giant whale with various parasites and creatures infesting it. Link's eyes quickly adjusted to the outside light, and judging on the sun's low position in the sky he assumed it had taken most of the day to find and rescue Ruto.

The young hero surveyed his surroundings to find land and he quickly spotted a nice little island with a large tree which he began to swim towards. The sun was beginning to set, the golden sky's reflection looking beautiful on the water as Link waded through it. As much of a rush as he was in to have solid ground under his feet the young hero's body ached from the previous adventure and he felt content taking his time to prevent any more muscle soreness than needed.

Link eventually made it to the land, letting out a sigh of relief as his feet hit mud allowing him to stand comfortably in the warm water. Large bodies of water like this had always freaked him out, not knowing what kind of creatures and dangers were lurking below. He didn't feel scared necessarily, he almost never did, but the feeling of not knowing what could be lurking below was not a comfortable one. As Lord Jabu-Jabu's pond had very clear water, Link could see all the way to the bottom and clearly there was nothing he needed to be afraid of lurking below the ripples but he still felt a bit nervous.

One creature in particular kept the young boy surveying his surroundings even as his body finally could relax. This creature scared him more than any other. But taking a final sweep of the lake, she didn't seem to be close by, and Link let out a sigh of relief. "Finally got away..." The young hero fell to his hands and knees into the dry sand and tried to catch his breath. Being in 'adventure mode' for so long had it's strains and even though Link would never show weakness before his foes when finally alone his body felt like it may begin to break down.

From slightly above Link heard a high-pitch and familiar laugh from his fairy companion. "Hey, Link! What exactly are you relieved about getting away from, Lord Jabu-Jabu? Or Princess Ruto?" The Zora princess that Navi spoke of, Ruto, had been the worst part of Lord Jabu Jabu's belly without competition. Link didn't really mind the presence of Ruto herself when they were just taking a quick break and chatting but the way she begged to be carried through every room both exhausted the hero as well as slowed him down. By the time he got to Barinade Link could barely hold his own. Luckily he had a fairy in a bottle on hand to save his life, otherwise there may not be a Hero of Time to finish this quest Princess Zelda had sent him on.

Deciding that the coast was clear, Link struggled over to the large tree on the island and turned to slump down against it. He could spare a few minutes before moving on to the Temple of Time, and rushing on with tired muscles would prove useless. He probably wouldn't be able to make it to Hyrule Castle before sundown, and fighting stalfos all night in front of the gate didn't exactly sound tempting at the moment.

"Not now Navi... that was just... Painful.. I know the Zoras are fish-folk and excel in the water but surely they can walk more than ten seconds on their own on dry land." This earned another giggle from the blue fairy whom seemed to have no sympathy for her travel companion. "I really should go find Princess Ruto though... I still need to get the zora's sapphire from her to finish this quest of mine."

Navi floated down in front of the green-clad boy and smiled, saying "Well you have fun with that Link, I'm goona go look around the Zora's domain for a bit okay? wouldn't want to get between you two lovebirds." Link didn't like the tone of her voice, it sounded less like simply making fun of him and more like she knew something he didn't. With this the fairy gave Link a little wink and flew away before the boy could stop her.

"Navi! Wait! I don't want to talk to her by myself!" It was too late, the blue orb of light slipped into the entrance of Zora's Domain and Link frowned. "And what do you mean lovebirds…" He could go chase after her but decided to wait a little, the hero didn't want to get back into the water right after starting to dry off. Link removed his hat and ran a hand through his blonde hair, it felt good to just relax and close his eyes for a moment but he knew he should be going soon. Any moment of peace that he could take hold of lately seemed to pass all too soon, even sleep was not safe lately as he and Navi often made camp in the wilderness, suspect to assault at any moment.

"Darn fairy, she's supposed to be helping me not leaving me alone. Oh well, better go find Ruto." As he muttered to himself Link didn't notice the looming threat that was bearing down on his position. While the hero could see perfectly fine above the water he was right in fearing what swam below it; Princess Ruto silently made her way to the back of the small island. Zoras were known for being perfect aquatic hunters and the princess made use of her natural-born abilities as she slipped up onto the sand unnoticed.

The Princess had promised Link the Zora's sapphire but had not told him the catch; that he must agree to take her as his bride once he'd reached maturity. At present the young Hylian did not have much going for him, with a rather scrawny build and unimpressive height. However, Ruto saw something in him during their time in Lord Jabu-Jabu that interested her. This small Hylian continued to meet her demands no matter how strenuous they were, even carrying her through most of the whale's belly. Even male zoras of a similar age wouldn't be able to keep that up all day, and end it with two major battles. At first there was no way the Princess would have handed over her sapphire, but now she wanted the young hero.

By the time Link heard the zora's steps behind him in the sand it was too late, he pushed off the tree and spun around to see the blue girl standing just steps away. She was still dripping wet, little droplets of water falling off the tips of her fins. "R-Ruto" Link stuttered as he looked for an escape plan. No use, if he entered the water the zora would easily catch him. He considered climbing the large tree in front of him, not sure if Zoras can climb.

However as his eyes searched frantically for another way out they became stuck on the object that the princess held. The Zora's sapphire. Link realized that he'd not get it until he gave the girl what she wanted, and he had to play it safe to make sure he didn't loose the chance; that sapphire after all was the sole reason he came here. Ruto stepped forward, a small smile playing on her lips and Link had to admit that when she wasn't whining and complaining or sitting on his head she could actually be kind of cute. The setting sun behind him cased Ruto to shine slightly giving her an added natural beauty. As they stood there in silence for a few moments Link couldn't help but also be entranced by the way each water droplet slipped off the princess's fins.

The Zora princess then said something that Link wished he hadn't heard. "My hero, Link. You've saved me from inside Lord Jabu-Jabu and defeated the monster that made him ill; so I will keep my promise and hand the Zora's sapphire over to you." Sounded good so far. Link stepped forward to receive the sapphire when the princess held one hand up to stop him. "I should tell you though... The Zora's Sapphire is a sacred engagement stone that has been passed down through the royal family. So if you want it you will have to agree to marry me." Ruto's lips curled into a smirk, knowing that she had caught her pray in an unescapable trap.

Link took a moment to process what he had just heard. Engagement? He'd heard the word a few times when the Kokiri had spoken of outsiders' way of living. Most of the other races would choose life partners with whom they would spend the rest of their life. This way of life began with 'engagement', a sort of promise to be with another individual. Link's mind suddenly began to flood with thoughts of a life with the Zoras, with Princess Ruto.

The hero's vision moved down to the ground as he thought about what to do; he needed the sapphire to finish his quest for the Hylian princess Zelda. Link found his voice and stated quietly "Marriage?" He looked up, causing blue eyes to meet blue eyes. "Ruto we're too young for that!" It was a crack shot, but the Kokiri had also mentioned that usually people would wait until adulthood to become engaged. Maybe he could wiggle out of this situation. Link expected the zora to be upset but a sly smile still rested happily on her lips causing Link to raise a brow. Again, Link got caught off guard by Ruto's beauty, her big mischievous blue eyes somehow captivated him.

Ruto took another step toward the boy as he took a step back, she was getting frighteningly close. "Oh Link, don't be silly. I wasn't implying that you and I get married now, but once you're older." Link's thoughts continued to race as he ran through possible escape plans. Although the longer it took him to make a plan the more he found his thoughts drifting towards weather marriage to Ruto would really be so awful.

Ruto continued taking another mirrored step towards the hero. "You've already proven that you can protect me so I have decided that I want to keep you close by. You're much more brave than any of the Zora boys around here; and cuter too."

It still seemed like there was no way the young hero would agree, but Ruto wasn't finished yet. "Link, I promise that I'm not always that needy. I just wanted to test you to see if you were a man worthy of my engagement stone." The Princess looked genuinely apologetic as she spoke, her once fixated gaze lowering to the sand at Link's feet. It was odd seeing the charismatic young girl suddenly look upset, and Link felt his chest tighten a bit. Seeing her sad made him uncomfortable, he had to stop his arm from reflexively moving to console the Zora.

"Also before you showed up I got attacked by some of those big jellyfish and sprained my ankle running away.. I needed your help." At this statement the green-clad boy looked down to Ruto's ankles and saw that one looked unnaturally swollen and slightly red. In the water this sort of injury shouldn't affect the Princess much as she also had upper body fins to swim with but on land, she did seem to have a slight limp which Link had not previously noticed. This time as Ruto took a awkward step towards the hero he did not retreat back. He had no idea how he hadn't noticed before but now felt kind of bad as he looked back up to renew eye contact.

Link nodded slowly, he wanted to believe what the princess was saying. Now that they were safe and out of Lord Jabu-Jabu Ruto was acting normal and the hero didn't see anything wrong with her at all. Maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad. The chances that he would even live to marriage were slowly dwindling anyways with these ridiculous fetch quests the Hylian Princess was sending him on. And would he even be accepted back with the Kokiri after all is said and done? Maybe having a concrete plan for his future would be a good idea.

Maintaining eye contact with the Zora Link swallowed his arguments and nodded softly. "Okay Ruto, I accept." Ruto's eyes regained their glow, but she still seemed hesitant to accept his words. "Once I am an adult I'll take your hand in marriage." Link finished, straightening his posture as if to show his conviction. Ruto's smile grew to one of genuine happiness and the girl jumped at Link, dropping the sapphire to the dirt. She threw her arms around Link's neck and he had to use a leg to brace himself from falling back as he caught her with his arms around her slender hips.

"Oh thank you Link! You won't regret it, I promise!" Ruto shouted. letting go of the boy and stepping away, she left her arms outstretched towards him holding the young boy's hands in her own. Her smile had not faded, and Link could swear that he saw tears building in Ruto's eyes. He smiled softly, starting to believe that maybe it would be good. Ruto seemed to truly care for him and he was starting to care for her as well. Having someone look at him in this loving manor felt good, it was a feeling that Link wanted to last.

The hero squeezed Ruto's hand, dropping the other to turn towards the large door leading to the King Zora's throne. He assumed that that's where Ruto wanted to go next, as her eyes had also moved in that direction. She happily walked behind him, and Link decided that if he was going to go through with this he may start their relationship now, keeping her hand held tightly. The two entered the water to swim over to the gate, and Link felt much more comfortable in the massive pool with Ruto there beside him; but as they reached the water' edge Link stopped the zora. Without even a second's delay she turned to face the boy.

"Link? What's wrong?" She asked timidly, obviously scared that the hero was having second thoughts. As Link looked over the zora he found that she was quite beautiful in the water, even more so than on land. Her fins flowed freely keeping her afloat, but it looked natural. She seemed to not even have to think about swimming while Link still sometimes struggled to keep his head above the surface. Ruto's blue skin seemed to glow through the water as the golden sun's rays reflected off it's surface.

Without replying directly to the princess's questions Link spoke; "Ruto, I want you to close your eyes for a second okay? Your father can wait another moment to see you, and don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." The princess continued to bob in the water a few seconds before nodding and shutting her eyes. Her hand squeezed Link's a little tighter, obviously still scared that he would be gone when she opened them. To Ruto this was starting to all feel like a dream, never before had another being made her feel the way she did. Her chest felt tight and her mind was flooded with various thoughts of what Link was planning.

However Link did not try to escape the Zora Princess. The boy took his free hand and moved it to Ruto's cheek, her shin was soft and cool. It felt good under his warm fingertips and he knew that he could get used to the sensation rather easily. The zora's cheeks seemed to flush as he began to lean towards her, Link assumed that Ruto had figured out what would happen next. Link slipped one arm around the princess' waist to pull her closer, now feeling the girl's body against his own; finally before their lips met Link whispered quietly "I will come back for you."

 **A/N: I hope you liked it! I know it was a little short, but chapter two is done and I'll start chapter 3 soon! Anyways, please let me know what you think! I love reading reviews / PMs.**


	2. The Promise Kept

**A/N: Just as a bit of a warning, this chapter is a bit more mature than the previous. Not enough so to earn a M rating but definitely a T.**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own Ocarina of Time..**

Link let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into the water temple, after searching for a way in for what seemed like hours the young man had figured it out and felt a wave of relief flow through him. "I'm one step closer. I'll find her soon Navi" He said confidently, shaking his limbs to try and dry off a little.

Link assumed that most of the Water Temple would involve just that; water, but still he liked the feeling of not being soaked for a few seconds. Even after all he'd been through the young man still did not enjoy being submerged in the liquid but he knew that he would have to get over it if his promise of marrying Ruto were ever to be fulfilled.

A bright flash of blue flew past the side of Link's head into his vision and he couldn't help but frown. Navi's wing looked slightly bent on one side which seemed to be causing the little fairy a fair deal of pain. It had been this way for the past couple days but she kept waving it off as nothing. "Link! We're finally here, you'll get to see her soon!" The fairy's high-pitch voice lifted Link's spirit as his lips moved back into a smile.

Navi was right, the main reason that the Hero of Time wanted to complete the Water Temple was his hope that at the end of the temple; -just like the forest temple- he would rescue and free the Sage of Water. Although Link couldn't be positive whom the sage of water would be he had a pretty good guess. Ruto.

"That's right Navi, I'll finally get to see her after all this time. I imagine it's been much harder on Ruto though, she had to wait through the seven years I passed in a flash." Link took his first steps into the temple happily, never had he been in such a rush to complete one of these giant puzzles. As he did though, Link heard a small squeak from behind. Navi sounded in pain; Link figured that the blue fairy's wing must be getting worse. He turned to the blue orb of light and reached out a hand, almost whispering "Come here Navi."

The blue orb of light began to dim slowly as Navi floated forward, with the light gone Link could see that after each wing-stroke the little fairy would wince. She landed in the hero's hand, looking at his palm for a minute before finally directing her blue eyes upwards to match his.

"I'm okay Link.. I know this looks bad but I'll be fine." Her eyes had begun to water, and Link's heart broke for her. Navi was always pushing herself to help the boy, even to the extent of flying in front of and distracting the fiery dragon Volvagia so that Link had a chance to get out of it's way.

She had been a great guide and a great friend but the hero knew that if he let the fairy have her way she would work herself to death. Or give up her life to save the hero's as only a fairy could do. Link simply shook his head, the fairy was most definitely not fine. And he knew that it would be stupid for her to continue with him until she was better. "I'm sorry about this Navi, I truly am" He whispered as he pulled an empty bottle out of his tunic.

The fairy's bright blue eyes widened and she attempted to get away but the glass bottle was brought down over her and Link quickly covered it. "Hey! Link!" Navi begun banging at the inside of the glass and yelling at him, but Link ignored her and walked over towards one of the blue walls.

"Listen to me Link! This temple is not like the others! You need me!" At this Link raised a brow, how would the little fairy know anything about the dungeon. He assumed she was probably just making things up to be released.

"Sorry Navi.." He whispered again before leaving the bottle on a nearby edge. He had no worry of her breaking out as nothing ever had before. "Fairies heal quickly but not when they're flying and stressing them selves out. You should be fine by the time I get back, I won't be long." And with that Link turned around to the pool of water leading deeper into the temple and quickly adjusted his fancy new blue tunic before jumping in.

He was skeptical the first time he tried the blue Zoran tunic but was starting to get used to it. Unlike the Zora scales Link had used before by placing them on his neck to act as a gill to breathe underwater the Zora tunic covered his body with thousands of tiny Zoran scales. The young man found it a little odd that he was breathing through his skin but figured that as long as it meant he could get through this temple in one piece he wouldn't complain.

Once submerged the hero began to swim through a long blue tunnel, surprised that he had not yet encountered any dangers in the form of monsters. He kept swimming through the now dark tunnel for a couple minutes, knowing that without the blue tunic there would be no way that he could even start the temple. Eventually Link saw a light at the end of the tunnel and found that it opened into a massive Underwater hall, it must have been at least three stories high.

There were objects floating around the new watery world that caused Link to look twice just to confirm he wasn't going crazy. Small metallic balls on the room's base and walls that would morph forms into rather scary looking spiky deathtraps; and man-sized clams with fierce looking teeth floating through the lower party of the open waters.

Link assumed that like every other monster he had faced each one of them were just waiting to get a bite out of him. There were strange fish swimming all around, none of which looked dangerous but in these temples Link had learnt to never doubt anything. The fish would scatter before coming close to the man, obviously seeing him as something foreign and therefore dangerous.

Looking up towards the source of light the hero saw there were a few Tektites skimming the water's surface above him and he decided to start there where it might be dry. While swimming up the young man noted that in the centre of the massive underwater room was a large pillar covered in doors, Link didn't even want to think about what that was for yet. Just the thought of underwater puzzles made the hero want to get out of here as quickly as possible.

It had felt like hours had passed and yet Link had to admit to himself that he was getting nowhere; he'd found a few keys and unlocked a few doors/chests, but even while wielding the mighty compass and map the hero was helplessly lost. He would see rooms on the map that he couldn't find, and the few rooms he found that actually seemed like they were going somewhere were impassable; his hook-shot couldn't reach the targets across their ridiculously long gaps. Link had also discovered that playing his ocarina in certain spots would cause the water to rise and fall, but this simply resulted in a never-ending loop of ups and downs.

"Maybe I should have brought Navi along after all.." Link sighed as he slumped against the wall and ran a hand through his blonde hair in frustration, he was currently on the top floor inside the pillar after having gone up and down multiple times. "I could have just tied her bottle to my belt... Oh well no use complaining now." The hero turned and twisted the doorknob of the top-floor door, stepping out into the massive hall once again.

Without even thinking the young hero pulled out his bow and sniped the two Tektites for what seemed like the hundredth time, these spider-like monsters appeared to come back every time he left to another room of the damn temple. "How many times do I have to clear the same rooms!" He yelled, more out of frustration than anger. The constant in and out of the water was driving him mad; cold and wet, warm and dry, and repeat.

Link moved to sit on the edge of the small platform he was on, sighing as he pulled the iron boots out of his tunic and slipped them over his feet once again. He didn't even bother to look before pushing himself into the water, the hero knew that there was no danger on the way down to the bottom of the room. It was kind of nice actually, slowly sinking through the water. The lower he got though the colder the water was; at the bottom it felt almost icy against his exposed skin.

Link pulled out his sword in one hand and hook-shot in the other, quickly doing away with the shiny spike-death balls as he hit the floor. They really seemed to hate the hook shot, one hit from it would cause them to shrink into their soft cocoons making them vulnerable.

The hero turned to move towards the large pillar in the middle of the room once again; determined to revel it's secrets when suddenly he heard something. Sounds underwater were usually blurred, with one exception. That was the voice of a Zora.

"Get away from me you over-grown clam!" she yelled, causing Link to spin on his heels and find himself face-to-face with a wall. Had he just imagined it? was he truly going crazy in this temple of madness? Link waved it off as his mind screwing with him and begun back to his original path when the voice cut through the water again. It was unmistakably coming from the other side of the wall, and it was definitely her. "Why are you attacking me!?" she screamed, followed by some sounds of conflict.

"Ruto!" Shouted Link, noting that speaking underwater came with an unpleasant mouthful of said water. Link instantly moved forward to press his ear against the wall; He could hear her fighting the 'oversized clam' on the other side and swallowed hard knowing that such creatures were rather dangerous.

To kill them he had to sever the Fleshy tongue holding its half-shells together but to do that you either had to get close to it's sharp teeth or use a ranged weapon. Link assumed that Ruto didn't have a ranged weapon. "Ruto hold on! I'm coming!" At this statement he heard a faint gasp, but had no idea how he would actually get to her.

Looking back and forth Link saw no door, no passage way, nothing that would allow him to save the one he was here to see. Was it a trick? A puzzle or secret button that would open a hole in the wall? He didn't have time for that, Ruto needed him now. Suddenly it clicked, and without thinking Link pulled the megaton hammer out of his tunic, stepping back and winding it behind his head. He'd never thought of simply breaking his way through a dungeon before but he figured that the megaton hammer should prove sufficient enough.

And he was right, once the legendary hammer hit the Water Temple's wall it broke straight through causing a massive hole in it's wake. Link charged in through the dust and at first couldn't see through the cloud he'd made but quickly found the massive clam creature and smashed it to bits with one swing screaming "Get away from her!" Apparently simply destroying them worked as well as severing the tongue.

Once the cloud faded into the water Link saw her, standing in the corner looking away. As Ruto turned to him, her look of fear morphed into one of confusion, and then a wide grin broke across her lips.

The now adult Zoran woman had certainly changed, the curves of her naked body being show off un-hidden by clothing. Princess Ruto looked more beautiful than any other woman Link had seen in his life, even though she was a Zora Link couldn't help but feel his heart beat in his chest more so than it did for any Hylian woman. After he had departed the Zora's domain as a child the young hero had found that he couldn't stop thinking about his future fiancé, and after his 7 year sleep the young man often wondered how said fiancé would have changed.

He didn't know what it was about her that attracted him so and caused his heart to beat so quickly, maybe it was the now long beautiful fins extending from her forearms down to her feet or maybe it was the way that water reflected the light around the princess into a stunning glow but Link couldn't avert his eyes.

Rather quickly however Link realized what it was that made him react the way he had. He had never seen a naked woman before, Hylians always wore clothing and just the thought of being naked in front of another would cause awkwardness yet before him stood the girl he'd promised his life to completely naked and completely confident.

Ruto didn't even try to hide her body, but did quite the opposite standing in a way that showed off her silhouette. It didn't take long for Link's eyes to drift to the more feminine parts of the naked Zora, which he felt ashamed of and instantly looked away, but this just earned a giggle from the one in front of him.

"What's wrong Link?" Asked the princess, taking a step forward. Link slowly looked up at her large blue eyes and forced himself not to look down. "You've seen many naked Zora women, why avoid looking at me?" She teased and took another step closer; moving a hand up to touch the hero's face. He felt a wave of warmth pass through his cheek even in the cold water as he blushed, struggling to find the words he needed.

"I- I just, I don't look at them the same way.. Ruto, you're beautiful." Link mentally face palmed himself, failing to find the proper words he wanted. Deciding to give up on words the hero moved a hand to the zora's side and pulled her a little closer, wishing that he could feel her body against his own. It was strange, as a boy the hero had never felt these urges but now in front of Ruto his body felt like it was on fire. He wanted more, and as the princess smiled softly he couldn't avoid looking to her lips.

"You know Link," she whispered through the water clear as day; leaning in so that their lips were only a breath's distance away. "You aren't so bad yourself." The princess brought her free hand under the young man's jaw and pulled him closer so that their lips would meet. Kissing under water was a little strange to the hero but he found that it was a good strange rather quickly. The way their lips slipped against each other's satisfied Link's needs momentarily and the princess stepped back smiling. "You came back for me" she whispered once more, but Link heard it clear as day.

Link nodded, smiling softly as he looked over the mature Zora once more. "Yeah, I told you I would. After all I'd be a pretty crappy fiancé if I didn't come to save you." Link smiled happily, and a massive grin grew across Ruto's face.

"You haven't forgotten!" she yelled jumping at the boy while wrapping her arms around his neck. Link fell back under the force of the princess and the two landed on the floor of the temple, creating another puff of smoke in the water and causing Link to laugh softly and wrap his arms around the Zora. "Even after seven years you still want to marry me!"

At this comment Link's heart sank, he couldn't begin to image the pain Ruto had gone through. When he left her seven years ago he thought he was almost done his quest and would return to her shortly. Neither of them knew that he would disappear for seven years into the temple of time.

"Of course I came back for you Ruto. After all.." Link left a small pause, he had thought a lot about his next words for almost the entire past month that he had taken to complete the forest and fire temples. Every day he would think about the Zora princess but required tools from the other etemples to reach her. Every day he would miss the Princess until he came to the ultimate conclusion, "I love you." As the two lay on the ground in the watery room Link remembered that it was just like last time when the princess had approached him in Lord Jabu-Jabu's Lake, even though she was an adult now Ruto was still the same gir- woman, that Link has admired as a child.

Ruto smiled from her position on top of Link and smiled, leaning down to press her body against his own. "I love you too Link."

 **A/N: so, there you go! Chapter two of I Will Come Back for You. I hope you guys liked it, leave a review to let me know :)**

 **I know that it was really just the end of the chapter that was LinkxRuto but next chapter will be the whole thing.**


	3. Sage of Water

**A/N: This chapter has not yet been updated, I will soon update it to match the writing in chapter 1.**

 **Here is Chapter 3 of I Will Come Back For You, I ended up making it way longer than I wanted to, (Over 5k words) and spending about 5 hours on it.. so I hope you enjoy! Please review to let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time or any of the characters in this fic.**

"Link!" The Zoran Princess' screams echoed through the large half flooded chamber as a previously air bond Tiketti smashed down onto the blue clad hero with all its might. For a moment it seemed as if Link's form had been crushed under the Tiketti's weight but upon closer inspection Ruto found the hero curled into a ball with shield held up above him as a platform for the creature. Not one of its four barbed legs even came close to hitting Link and without giving it a moment to recover the young man swung his sword up and around the Hylian shield, plunging the blade deep into the creature's side.

Erupting into a blue flame the spider-like monster stumbled off Link's shield and into the water where it quickly vanished. Link soon after stood to full height and turned his gaze to Ruto who seemed to still be in a bit of shock. "Princess" he began, stepping towards the blue being with a smile. "I know that when you last saw me such a creature as this may have overthrown me, however I'm stronger now. You needn't worry over such things. I will protect you from any monster small or large."

Ruto's expression changed from one of worry to that of relief and a slight smile played across her lips. The princess' bodily expression changed as well, from a defensive stance to an open and slightly flirty posture with one hand resting on a pushed out hip. The hero tried to restrain himself, but found his eyes drifting over the young woman's body just as she looked at his. The Zora stepped forward towards Link; giving him a quick look over for wounds but with finding none simply continued to smile. "You truly have grown into the hero we all knew you would. After you disappeared people began to talk of a young boy from the forest that had disappeared, but would return to save us all. I knew it was you they spoke of, I knew that you would come back."

The Zoran Princess' speech was cut off as a loud crash came from the next room, causing both figures to spin towards a large chain-covered door on the wall opposite them. Compared to the other doors of the dungeon this one was unique, however Link had seen it's like before in the previous dungeons he had navigated and knew that this one as well would soon be behind him. Reaching into the side of his tunic the hero grasped a larger than normal key which he assumed would fit the keyhole to the boss chamber; yet his hand shook slightly in contemplation of what sort of creature could be waiting for him.

Already on the brink of exhaustion due to the nightmarish water temple the Hylian did not look forward to his next battle but knew that he was the only one who could kill the beast. "Ruto, tell me everything you know about the monstrosity that awaits my arrival inside that chamber." Link's voice fell deep as he spoke, wishing not to show any signs of fear to his companion.

Try though as he may Ruto still felt the underlying fear that lined the hero's words. "Listen to me," she spoke while suddenly stepping between the green clad hero and the monstrous double door. "You do not have to face this creature alone Link! You are my Fiancé and therefore it is my duty to protect you just the same as you protect me!" Link frowned at the Zora's words; he may have been afraid but did not let the thought of having Ruto help cross his mind for even a second.

Sidestepping around the Zora the Hylian opened his path to the door and replied "Ruto you know I can't let you join me in battle. If anything were to happen to you..." The young man felt the Zora's gaze on his back and looked down to the blue-tiled flooring. "I would be unable to forgive myself. No, I would be unable to go on." As the words departed the Hylian's lips blue arms slid under his arms and around his waist as Ruto clung to her future husband. The young man continued in a dull plead "please, just tell me what you know and leave the beast to me."

There was a moment of silence in which all Link could hear were the droplets of water from the ceiling splashing against the pools around the chamber. If it weren't for the corruption that had taken over this holy temple it would be a truly beautiful place. Finally however Ruto's voice broke the silence as she pulled herself even closer to Link's back. "Morpha." She spoke, her usually firm voice trembling. "It is a creature of the likes you have never encountered Link. It takes water as its own to create a grotesque body with overwhelming power. Using all my power I sealed it into that room with limited water but once you break the lock and enter... if you lose the creature will be set free."

Judging by his soon to be wife's tone of voice Link knew that loosing was not an option. A creature that gains its power through water being released into Lake Hylian would be catastrophic not only to the Lake itself but all inhabitants of Hyrule. As the Zora's body shook Link spun in her arms to face her directly. Moving one arm to cover her shoulders and the other around the smaller woman's waist the hero held her close. "Ruto, you trust me right?"

"Of course" replied the Zoran Princess into the young man's shoulder. She was on the verge of tears which caused Link to hold her only tighter.

"I promise you that this will not be the last you see of me. I will put an end to this corruption and we will leave this place together." Link pulled all of his courage together to speak with Ruto; and in doing so began to motivate himself. "I can do this; I survived a mountain of fire and death! There's no way a bit of water will take me down."

Finally Ruto shifted her gaze up to the Hylian's blue eyes with tears still welling in her own. "I know Link; I know you'll be okay. After all you're my husband; you can't just go dying on me yet."

At this comment Link couldn't help but chuckle, pulling Ruto even closer against his body causing her to let out a little squeak. "Hey now, I'm not your husband yet haha!" The young man laughed happily thinking to himself how silly his fiancé truly was. "That said I plan on becoming your husband so I can't die here."

The two seemed content with the last comment, smiling at each other happily. Suddenly aware of their close proximity however Link's cheeks flushed and he avoided eye contact with Ruto; her body pressing against his. This caused her to put on a grumpy expression, moving to attempt to enter his vision once again and pressing against him harder. "You know Mr. Hero; once we get married we'll have to do a lot more than just kiss. You'd better get used to holding me like this!"

Her comment did not help at all, causing Link to release his hold and stumble away towards the edge of the platform on which they stood. "W-What!?" He shouted as the Zora grinned and took a step closer before crouching slightly, similar to how a tiketti would crouch when preparing to pounce. "Ruto, no! I just got dry! Sto-" too late, the now playful young woman sprang forward and crashed into the Hylian, wrapping her arms around him as they fell into the deep pool.

Quickly surfacing Link struggled to stay afloat as the Zora wrapped her legs around his waist as well, effectively putting to rest any thoughts of escape. The Zora's fins drifted in the water, entangling themselves in Link's Tunic "Ruto! What are you doing!?" He yelled, yet had to admit that he didn't completely mind feeling the princess' body so close.

Ruto simply giggled and leaned in slowly, capturing Link's lips with her own and ending the young man's struggles to get away. Without giving him time to breathe the Zora kissed the Hylian again, and again; Her lips felt a little cold against his own and yet they felt amazing. Link knew that he'd have to separate to breathe sooner or later but for some reason the sensation of suffocation did not faze him. So he continued to kiss his fiancé, her arms moving offer his back and quickly he got lost in time.

Eventually Ruto pulled away, a massive grin spreading across her blue lips. "When we're in the water like this you don't have to breathe through your mouth Link, which means I can make it all mine." The hero felt a little surprised at Ruto's aggressiveness but at the same time didn't really mind being called hers. Gazing into the Zora's blue eyes Link leaned in slowly for one last kiss before leaning away and turning to the door. "You know..." Spoke the blue being as Link's eyes fixated on the lock. "That means we could kiss for an entire night, all alone."

Her last comment finally caused Link to hit his limit as the blue-clad hero moved to separate from the Zora. "Ruto!" He shouted, similar to earlier but now even more flustered. "I- I should go. Hyrule won't wait for me forever." Link tried to act level headed about the situation however his bright red cheeks and flustered swimming gave him away as being extremely embarrassed.

"I know, I know..." Whispered Ruto sadly as she drifted over towards the ledge of the platform which the Boss Door sat on, lifting herself up and sitting on it sexily with one leg crossed over the other. C'mon Mr. Hero, let's get you ready to fight Morpha." Following Ruto Link swam to the ledge and pulled himself up, attempting to shake off some of the water even knowing that the chances of getting through his fight dry were very unlikely. "Link, I know that you'll win. And when you do, maybe you can take a rest from your adventure? Spend the night with me in the Zora's Domain to regain your energy." Though it was she who offered, Ruto sounded a little upset.

The hero chuckled a bit at this proposal, assuming that spending the night with Ruto would entail spending more energy than he would regain. Nonetheless he replied happily "yeah that sounds like fun. I need you to do a favor for me though Ruto; while I'm in there can you go fetch Navi? She's waiting at the front of the temple." Link was worried about his fairy companion, but t honestly he simply didn't want Ruto nearby in fear that she may try to interfere with the fight.

The Zoran Princess nodded softly, stepping closer to Link and the hero knew what she wanted. Leaning in softly he pressed his lips against hers, giving Ruto a good bye kiss and whispering "Don't worry; I'm not leaving you this time." With this Ruto spun and dove into the water on her way to the previous room. Link turned as well, to face the Boss Room which he had been avoiding. "This is it" he whispered to himself, reaching for the Boss Key with one hand and his Long-Shot with the other; assuming that he would need it.

The key fit perfectly into the ridiculously large keyhole, unlocking multiple sets of chains which fell to the floor with a crash. Just like the other Boss Doors, it consumed the key into its lock before very slowly grinding open. The base of the door scratched the tiled floor as it moved until finally coming to a stop; the Chamber inside was unlike other boss chambers which usually seemed dark and evil; this felt alive and open. All along the walls were fountains which poured water into the main pool however Link assumed that the same water was being recycled as Ruto had stated there should be a fixed amount.

The square room had a ledge around the main pool in the middle, for a mere moment Link felt as if he may be able to stay dry! The wall though was lined with wooden stakes facing in towards the center. The stakes only reached about thigh height, meaning any fall on them would be crippling. The pool itself had many square platforms to stand on which were within jumping distance of each other but the thought of being surrounded by water that Morpha could control didn't sit well with the hero. Before charging in Link turned to the massive door and pulled each side shut to keep this "Morpha" from accessing any more water.

"All right Morpha, it's time to show me what you've got!" Shouted Link as he stepped further into the room. Notably the corner was not lined with the wooden stakes providing at lease a bit of safe wall space. "Show yourself creature!" He continued to yell, banging the Longshot on the Hylian shield twice to generate some noise. Still nothing. Frowning, the hero stepped closer to the edge of the water to peek in, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. "It's just a regular body of water..." He whispered to himself.

Moving to walk around the edge of the pool Link looked for anything out of the ordinary, anything that was out of place. Nothing. "Where are you Morpha?!" he yelled, getting angry. A small rock laid by the hero's feet which he moved to grab and throw into the center of the pool expecting a splash or at least a ripple. But nothing happened; no reaction on the liquid's surface as the rock simply landed as it would on stone. Raising a brow Link watched it as the rock very slowly slid into the water. "What the..." Moments after the rock began to dissolve and within seconds it was gone.

"What the he-" Link's voice became cut off by a sudden shriek which filled the room and out of nowhere a Large crimson orb rose from the pool surrounded by a pillar of liquid. The pillar of water seemed to be but a puppet as the orb ascended and descended within it, seemingly searching the room for whatever the source of its disturbance was. Link stood still, not knowing what to do until a thought crossed his mind. Before the creature realized what was happening the hero raised his left arm with Longshot in hand. "You don't seem so tough" He spoke confidently and pulled the trigger.

Instantly the metal hook was ejected towards the creature, for a moment Link felt as if it might not hit with the creatures erratic movement but sure enough the hook hit dead center into the orb causing another shriek to fill the room as a red liquid seeped into the water. For only a second tens of water currents similar to the one the orb was riding in lifted up out of the pool and shot at Link, however once the crimson ball became separated from the water pillar they all collapsed into normal liquid. Link grinned, feeling invincible as the now defenseless Morpha flew onto the ground before him. Quickly drawing the master sword Link began to attack the creature, getting only three slashes in before it slipped back to the pool.

"You're a slippery one" said Link while sheathing his sword and grabbing the Longshot once again. "But I won't let you get away from me this time!" Suddenly the hero's world flipped upside-down as a string of water had wrapped around his ankle and pulled it up into the air. During the flip Link's head hit the tile floor, luckily not hard enough to cause a blackout but it still hurt more than he was ready for. The room began to spin and Link wasn't sure whether the monster was spinning him or he his head was.

The crimson orb known only to him as Morpha passed the young man's vision rather close and instinctively Link dropped the Longshot to reach for the Master Sword and giving it a swing, hitting nothing but air. Within seconds his vision cleared up and the orb made itself seen once more, directly below the hero easily within his sword's range. It seemed to be studying the hero, as much as a seemingly single celled organism could. Now it was Morpha's turn to feel invincible.

Thinking back to the rock Link realized that Morpha's surface must be stronger than water, it could choose what would pierce its barrier or not. The only reason his Longshot most likely got through was that he surprised the creature. "So you think you're safe from my sword huh?" Link shouted towards the orb. "Well I've got some new for you, this is the Master Sword! Evil's Bane! You go ahead and try to stop it." With that the hero swung, his sword passing through Morpha's aqueous barrier like a hot knife through butter. As the edge of the Master Sword passed thorough Morpha visibly panicked; moving to avoid the blade but not making it out of the way before another gash was cut into it releasing another gush of blood into the water.

Just as it did before, before Morpha let a shriek fill the room and its pillars collapsed causing Link to fall hard onto one of the few platforms in the pool. Still upside down he landed on his left shoulder, causing a surge of pain to pass through it and numb the entire arm. "Ah!" He yelled; losing his grip over the Master Sword and watching in horror as it slipped over the edge into the pool. He had no fear that the sword would dissolve as the rock had, but knew that without the master sword he would need a new strategy; and he would need it fast.

Morpha's water pillars began to raise again, many of them coming up from every inch of water in the room. Link struggled to his feet, feeing intense pain through his shoulder as well as a numb pain in his head. "Should have... Brought Navi with me..." he whispered knowing that her healing powers would be extremely useful. To revive him from death would kill her, but fixing up some bones and a head injury would likely only make the selfless fairy tired. The pillars continued to grow slowly, forming a dome together over the hero; it didn't look good at all. Rummaging into his tunic Link found only a few bombs which would be useless, his bow and a couple arrows, his Megaton Hammer and a few more items that would be of no use. Maybe an arrow could pierce the orb's shields however it would most likely melt away before hitting the creature itself.

Frowning Link equipped his bow and drew an arrow, it was his only chance. Pulling the arrow back in the bowstring Morpha didn't even twitch, sitting motionlessly in a pillar of water. It knew the arrow wouldn't work.

"Get away from my husband!" Ruto's voice cut through the silence and for a moment Link thought his head injury was worse than he'd though but sure enough he spun to find the Zora's figure standing in the doorway. Before the hero could tell her not to Ruto bolted forward; kneeling at the edge of the pool and speaking some kind of incantation before plunging her hands straight into Morpha's water. Instantly the dome around Link dispersed and Morpha's body fell into the pool; Ruto had somehow disabled the monster.

"Quickly Link, find the heart and kill it!" Assuming that the 'heart' was the crimson orb Link knew this task may be impossible without the Master Sword. Looking over the edge of the platform he stood on Link saw the sword, down at the bottom of the acidic pool of water. The creature had been momentarily subdued, but that's didn't mean that its aqueous body could not dissolve the hero.

"I can't get the Master Sword!" Shouted Link; not turning to Ruto whom had begun towards the Longshot which sat on the floor near a corner. "Its body of water dissolves whatever it touches; I would be killed before the sword is in my hand." The young man began to stretch his thoughts for ideas; maybe the Longshot could reach the sword? Maybe ho could somehow distract the creature long enough to reach it?

"Link, just go for it." Suddenly a bright blue glow filled Link's vision, causing him to focus on its source which revealed itself as a tiny blue fairy. "I'll keep you alive long enough to grab the sword and kill the beast, just please be fast!" Navi shouted at the hero even though they were only an arm's distance apart. The look in her face was determination, there was no way that the little fairy would take no for an answer.

"But Navi, you'll-"

"Did I ask for your opinion?!" She once again yelled, flying right up to Link's face forcing him to stumble back. "If you go fast enough I'll be fine! Just don't die and I won't d ie!" Link nodded slowly, he knew it was the only way. And if they waited any longer the slumbering beast may awaken. "Here, let me heal your current injuries first." With her words came a warm glowing feeling in Link's shoulder and head. Within seconds all pain was gone, however Navi looked a little out of breath.

'Will she truly be okay?..' Link thought to himself; but shook the thought and made his way to the edge of the water. No time to think about that now; if the three of them could not defeat Morpha then they would all be killed along with countless innocents outside the temple. Ruto made it to the Longshot, announcing "I've got it Link! Just get to the sword and come to me!"

These were the last words Link heard before diving into the water, his body slipping through Morpha's barrier easier than he'd expected. Possibly because the monster had been stunned? The water didn't hurt as he thought it would, the only thing he felt at all was a warm feeling on his left hand but ignoring it he made his way down towards the Master Sword. Reaching out for it Link noticed the Tri-force symbol on his hand was glowing brightly, the heat from it increasing slowly. 'Is my symbol protecting me?' He thought for a moment but quickly took hold of the sword.

Turning back up towards the surface the water's mood suddenly changed; it felt heavy and hot all around him. It didn't take the blue-clad hero long to realize what had happened; but Morpha's appearance before him proved the thoughts true. The spell had worn off. Suddenly Link's skin felt as if it were melting off his body, his nails felt hot and his blood screaming in alarm as it gave off a boiling sensation. "Navi! Keep me alive!" And she did, even though Link felt his skin melting away it stayed on his body.

Link thrust forward with the sword; however Morpha was too fast in its own aqueous body and easily dodged again and again. Link kept trying, but knew that eventually Navi would be able to heal him no longer. Already his skin felt as if it was truly melting off and soft red patched of water began to form around the now very scared boy. "I-I'm going to die" he gasped as his vision went red as well.

"Link! Don't leave me!" Ruto's voice cut through the liquid to the hero's ears and yet he knew it was useless. No words could save him now.

Link's vision went black.

He lost all sensation.

Muscles began to relax, and as his mouth hung open the young hero could taste his blood in the water.

'It's over' he thought as all feeling left him.

"Link!"

Ruto and Navi's voices rang in unison, seeming to pull at the young man from the darkness. He felt cold, the ice water running over his skin and through his hair as he hung in suspension in the water. Suddenly the water no longer felt hot, it wasn't burning him alive and he somehow found the strength to move. One finger, now his hand grasped the Master Sword tightly. His arm regained its movement as well and then the other one. His legs kicked hard, creating momentum as the hero opened his eyes to see the surface only a few feet away!

Bursting out of the water Link gasped for air, his tunic had obviously been destroyed as the young man found himself needing to breathe. Looking around quickly Link found Ruto sitting in one of the corners of the room holding a large crimson orb that looked rather angry. Morpha. He quickly swam to the closest edge and pushed himself up before sprinted to the Zora, screaming "Let it go!" as he got close. She did so, tossing the monster into the air as Link lunged forward to pierce the orb to the hilt of the Master Sword.

It struggled momentarily, writhing on the sword and deepening its wound before finally falling silent and bursting into a blue flame. "It's... dead…" Whispered Link before falling to his knees and dropping the Master Sword to the ground. His arms and legs were bare, the blue tunic covering only his torso to his thighs. The room began to shake before another large pillar of water formed from the center of the pool, reaching up towards the ceiling. All water flowed into it, and slowly disappeared into the roof with only droplets left behind.

"You did it Link!" Yelled Ruto, instantly jumping onto the hero's back and squeezing him tightly. Her body felt hot against his bare skin. "I knew you could do it!" Link struggled in the Zora's arms to turn around and embrace her properly, pulling the princess as close as he possibly could. Ruto hugged him back, but soon leaned away with a smile on her face. "You truly are amazing, you are the only man fit to be the husband of the Zora's Queen."

At this statement Link's eyes widened, he had never thought of it like that. Once the King Zora passes away, making Ruto Queen of the Zoras would he be crowned King Zora? Shaking the thought away for the moment he simply smiled back, leaning in to give his fiancé a quick kiss. "I wouldn't have beat the monstrosity without you and Navi Ruto, I truly- Navi!?" Link quickly released Ruto whom also let go, and he spun to the center of the room where he had last seen his fairy.

There she lay, obviously exhausted and on the brink of death. Without a second thought Link jumped across the platforms to her side, crouching down beside the glow-less fairy and cupping her into his hands. "Navi I told you it would be too much! Don't die! You can't die!"

Link felt a tear begin to well up in his eye as the fairy lay motionless, not responding to his voice or touch. "Please Navi… You can't leave me… without you I'm lost…" the tear made its way to the hero's cheek as another tugged in his other eye. Ruto's hand on Link's shoulder didn't help at all and he began to choke up. "Navi.." he whispered softly.

"You big dummy"

Navi's tiny body began to move slowly, as she always did when waking up. "You dummy.. Of course you need me, so.. Don't leave me behind again…" Navi's face turned to meet Link's gaze, blue eyes meeting blue. Navi had tears in her eyes as well, and from hearing the words Link had spoken her cheeks were slightly flushed. "Link, I am you companion to the end of this quest. And once this quest is over I will be the faithful watcher of the King of all Zoras."

Link couldn't help but let out a sad chuckle at this, his lips twisting into a smile. "Thank the goddesses you're alright Navi." Link held the fairy close, knowing that she would need to rest. "Go to sleep now, okay? I'll wake you when we get out of this place." With that he slipped the fairy into his hat, before standing and facing Ruto.

Ruto's eyes seemed a little red but she seemed alright, stepping close to look at the Hero of Time as she had earlier. Ruto reached forward to place her warm hands on his body, sliding them over the hero's bare skin "No injuries.." she whispered causing Link to look over his body as well. "That fairy of yours, she truly is amazing." If Link didn't know better he would accuse the princess of being jealous, however he knew that that was simply ridiculous.

"Yes, she is. But you are as well, and now the three of us can finish this together. Come with me Ruto, join Navi and I as a team and we can put an end to the evil in this land!" Link took the Zoran Princess' hands in his own, smiling happily at her. However her face did not reciprocate his own; the Princess began to tear up once more. "Ruto?" He asked with fear lining his voice. "What's wrong? Why do you cry now that we're finally together?" Link stepped closer, pulling his princess against his own body.

"Link, I'm not coming with you." She replied matter-of-factly without meeting the hero's gaze.

"What? What do you mean you aren't coming with me?! I finally found you again!" Link began to panic, wondering if he'd done something wrong. The woman whom he'd fallen in love with was pulling away and it scared him. "Ruto, I love you and only you. You are my fiancé, my future wife! Please, tell me what's going on?"

Ruto slowly pushed back, leaving the young man's embrace before looking up at him with a smile. "Link, I know you love me. I know that you treasure me. Therefore I must ask that you finish this quest to the end and allow me to return to this world. I leave you now for the Sage's chamber; where I will stay until you defeat the Mad King." Link moved forward after his princess, but it was too late. A blue light began to envelope Ruto's body starting at her feet and moving up her legs fast. The Zora began to cry, obviously wishing not to leave.

"Y-you're the Water Sage?!" Link took a momentary pause, before a grin broke across his lips. "Unbelievable, not only are you the Princess of the Zoras as well aa the most beautiful woman I have ever met, but a sage as well? And I will! I'll bring you back to me!" Link stated as he closed the distance, wrapping his arms around her hips as they disappeared leaving him with empty space. At his words Ruto only began to weep more. "I came back for you Ruto, and now I will fight to the end of my life to find you again." Tears continued to flow down Ruto's cheeks as Link leaned in, kissing her one last time before the light disappeared; taking her with it.

"I know my hero."

 **A/N so there ya go! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm thinking one more chapter? maybe two if I decide to write just a pure LinkxRuto chapter. anyways, let me know what you think!**

 **P.S. I was thinking about ending it after Link passed out, but figured that that would be cruel. So.. You're welcome.**


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